Set in a seedy stretch of Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, Coureurs de Bois is a novel where the insane speak oracular truths and a female Christ figure – complete with virgin birth – attempts to kill herself, shocked by the "absolute horror of the human condition." The characters here are full-blown and fascinating. The pacing is immaculate. The humour black, intelligent, and just as likely to reinforce a stereotype as deflect one.

Read the rest of the review here. Read more about Bruce MacDonald and Coureurs de Bois at the Cormorant Books website.

There's only a few weeks left to decide which of this year's CBC Canada Reads contenders you'll be cheering for. CNN broadcaster Ali Velchi will stand behind Terry Fallis's political satire The Best Laid Plans (McClelland & Stewart). Here, he tells us why this is the book we should all be reading and gives us a sense of his own reading habits.

The Canada Reads debates will air on Feb. 7, 8, and 9th at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. For the latest buzz and a complete list of this year's shortlist, visit the CBC Canada Reads website.